Looting
There were armed guards on 9th Street, hired by Italian Market merchants. A shotgun-carrying private security guard forced several youths to their bellies outside a big box store they had robbed. The owner of South Philly’s Firing Line shot and killed one of a group of intruders trying to
Police
One good thing — I guess — about the current situation (I mean the widespread violence, not the COVID-19 pandemic) is that it has a lot of people paying attention to the news. But even good things can be carried too far. Around 5:30 Monday, I get a text from my
Jim Kenney
The imaginary mayor’s office at City Hall. The mayor is bent over, sobbing softly into his hands, which are salty from the soft pretzels he has been eating. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw enters. OUTLAW: Mr. Mayor, what’s wrong? KENNEY: The people of Philadelphia. Why did they do this
Police
The 8 p.m. curfew arrived in Minneapolis, the protestors were on the move, peaceably, according to MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, who was walking with them. The mayor and governor had withdrawn their earlier claims about a heavy out of town presence. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, the curfew passed and the
Police
It wasn’t Minnesota Nice, it was Minnesota Fail. What we saw unfold before our eyes Friday night was proof of the adage that in war — and this is war — plans die when the first shot is fired. In this case, the first shot was a gas canister fired by
Police
I stayed up later than planned Thursday night into Friday morning, watching a mob attack Minneapolis’ 3rd police precinct building. Earlier, at least five officers were seen on the roof, firing flash bangs (loud explosive devices) and tear gas. Sometime before 10 p.m., the mayor ordered police to abandon
Uncategorized
This won’t mean anything to you, unless you live in my neighborhood and are in the 182nd Pennsylvania House district and are represented by Brian Sims, the Progressive Prince Valiant with a couple of flags on his file. First elected in 2012, Sims is a lawyer who became the
Uncategorized
In the battle between two groups of millionaires, most people are sitting on the bench. Let’s play ball! Major League Baseball, the organization that had an agreement with the players, just threw a screwball at the union. In March, the union had agreed to a prorated pay scale, meaning
Coronavirus
To me, it is not the number — 100,000 Americans dead — nor the speed, since Feb. 6 in Santa Clara County, Calif. The CDC reported a record high 80,000 deaths from the plain old flu in 2017. Were you aware of that number? I wasn’t, perhaps because it
Uncategorized
I’ve got a gift for timing. On the very day I posted a column supporting mail-in ballots, a story broke about a South Philly Democratic committeeman and judge of elections who had ballot-stuffed in three recent elections, which I will talk about later. It was like Fate giving my
Uncategorized
Before I started to write today’s column, which happened yesterday — isn’t time travel fun? — I decided to have a libation in honor of Memorial Day, which I will return to later. So my tone might be a little different, as I glanced at Page One of the Inquirer,
Coronavirus
Hate to criticize what is done for charity, but the Thursday-night, one-hour concert fund-raiser had a slap dash feel to it, and low production values, for the most part. Excluded from that criticism is Godmother of Soul, Patti LaBell, who had backup singers and six musicians who joined her for